Unmistakable Presence

Valerie’s POV

The walls were bare. Damp. Cold. Not painted, not even plastered. Just raw stone, rugged and cracked in some places, like it had been that way for centuries. The air wasn’t moving, not even a little, but it felt thick—wet, almost. Like the place had been soaked in silence and shadows for so long it had turned stale. There was no window, no light except for a weak flicker that seemed